The cooking thread

I made switchle!
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I've heard of it many times before, but just now decided to try it. It's an OLD drink from the early years of the North American colonies and early US, but mostly New England. It was made as a refresher for hot summer days, recommended in somewhat the same way as sports drinks today.
Easy as hell, but get the proportions right or you're just drinking vinegar water... because that's really all it is.

I used about 1 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, 1 C black strap molasses, spiced with a healthy dose of ginger, a few dashes of mace, and a dash of cayenne; all in a gallon pickle jar, add cool water to full, and mix thoroughly.
Decided it needed more sweetening, so added about a cup of brown sugar in the end.

It'll surprise you too know that it's not the vinegar flavor that gets you. It really does mellow out allot to more of a tart apple.
I suggest having fun with variations on the ingredients. Historically it was often spiked with rum, but I can see bourbon working as well. I don't drink any more but am curious, so if you try it let me know.
 
I've got habaneros coming out of my ears and thought I'd share a really easy pickling recipe I used:

12 habaneros
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
a few cloves of crushed garlic.

Slice the habaneros and place them in a jar. Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil and pour into jar. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

For one batch, I replaced the garlic with pineapple (yum).
 
ShadyStump said:
I made switchle!
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I've heard of it many times before, but just now decided to try it. It's an OLD drink from the early years of the North American colonies and early US, but mostly New England. It was made as a refresher for hot summer days, recommended in somewhat the same way as sports drinks today.
Easy as hell, but get the proportions right or you're just drinking vinegar water... because that's really all it is.

I used about 1 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, 1 C black strap molasses, spiced with a healthy dose of ginger, a few dashes of mace, and a dash of cayenne; all in a gallon pickle jar, add cool water to full, and mix thoroughly.
Decided it needed more sweetening, so added about a cup of brown sugar in the end.

It'll surprise you too know that it's not the vinegar flavor that gets you. It really does mellow out allot to more of a tart apple.
I suggest having fun with variations on the ingredients. Historically it was often spiked with rum, but I can see bourbon working as well. I don't drink any more but am curious, so if you try it let me know.
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Black strap molasses is a fantastic source of potassium and goes in my baked beans as well as dark brown sugar.
I used to drink water with Bragg apple cider vinegar with the mother in it with tulip poplar honey added. Cleans you out at 1st. Your switchle sounds good.

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I think I make the best slaw dogs going. Couldn't keep up with demand if I opened a hot dog joint.
 
dbonsaiw said:
I've got habaneros coming out of my ears and thought I'd share a really easy pickling recipe I used:

12 habaneros
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
a few cloves of crushed garlic.

Slice the habaneros and place them in a jar. Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil and pour into jar. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

For one batch, I replaced the garlic with pineapple (yum).
Click to expand...
I'm jealous! I planted 7 chili peppers this year, and they're not doing hardly a thing. Can't stop the lemon cucumbers, though. I planted half as many this year, and there are still days we can't keep up with supply.

I have one lowly cayenne in a pot that's on its second year. I've been collecting the peppers since last summer to make a big batch of hot sauce. They'll keep indefinitely in a jar of just vinegar and salt. The one quart we have is about packed, and will probably turn into two quarts when processed. Can't really give you a recipe because we free hand it by taste every time, but it really is as simple as boiling peppers in vinegar, add whatever seasonings you might want, blend, sieve out the chunks and skins, bring the a rolling boil again then pour into jars. The contraction as it cools is enough to seal the canning lids, and the ingredients do the preserving.
 
Cajunrider said:
Smoked brisket took all evening and night.
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I used to wrap my brisket after 6 hrs. This time I decided not to wrap it. Once the brisket pushed through the stall point. I simply put it in a stainless steel tray uncovered and smoked it at 200 degrees F for 6 more hours. The meat came out beautifully. Juicy and tender! @Jthom123 knife sliced through it like butter.
 
Well. Cajunrider visited the swamp to check on the trees he planted and ran into Mikey. At 8ft long Mikey liked to eat everything. But but but so does Cajunrider and he had a tag to harvest.
There is such a thing as gator tail tenderloin.
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Cajunrider said:
Well. Cajunrider visited the swamp to check on the trees he planted and ran into Mikey. At 8ft long Mikey liked to eat everything. But but but so does Cajunrider and he had a tag to harvest.
There is such a thing as gator tail tenderloin.
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All in all 30lbs of premium meat. A hide for my friend. PS: Didnā€™t keep the ribs this time. Too much hassle.
 
Cajunrider said:
Must have grilled some properly greasy burgers already. There is a brag hidden under all that greasy smoke.
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My brag is I've had this grill since 2012, and have used it more in the past 2 years than the preceding 5.
It's due for replacement. The coal pan is rusting out, and the chimneys are about to fall off.

Still holds heat, though!
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